Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at the launch of multiple development works in Jamnagar, Gujarat
Bharat Mata Ki-Jai,
Bharat Mata Ki-Jai,
On stage, the popular and dauntless Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Bhai Patel; my parliamentary colleague and BJP Gujarat's President CR Patil who won the highest number of votes in the country during the 2019 elections and had set a new record; all the ministers of the Government of Gujarat; MPs, MLAs and my dear brothers and sisters of Jamnagar who have come in large numbers,
comrades,
From Bharuch to Jamnagar, this experience of expanding the journey of prosperity and development of Gujarat is really amazing. Today 8 projects have been inaugurated and their foundation stones have been laid here. Heartiest congratulations to all of you for these projects related to water, electricity and connectivity! Today a special community hall for Valmiki Samaj has also been dedicated. This will help our brothers and sisters a lot in various social events.
Friends,
Today Jamnagar has done wonders. I was late in coming here from the airport due to the grand welcome and the blessings that were being showered upon us on the way. I could never forget such enthusiasm, and zeal. My heart was filled with even more joy because mothers and sisters were present in large numbers. Nothing could be better than elderly mothers showering their blessings. Navratri has just ended and in two years the Corona's intensity has also started declining. And this time I have seen that Navratri was celebrated in every nook and corner of Gujarat. Jamnagar also celebrated Navratri in a grand manner. As the Navratri is over and Dussehra too has ended, the preparations for Diwali have also started. You might remember that about two decades ago this was the time when entire Gujarat including Jamnagar, Saurashtra and Kutch was shaken by the earthquake. It seemed like death was hovering over Gujarat. And those days were so terrible that no household celebrated the first Navratri and the first Diwali after that earthquake in Gujarat. The tragedy of the earthquake had brought so much despair that the people had assumed that Gujarat would never be able to stand up again. But the people here are known for their craftsmanship. So, such a population automatically re-developed themselves. Confidence and their determination shattered all the despair and Gujarat not only stood up but started running. And today it is moving forward with the power to give momentum to the entire country. You see, the country and the world visit Kutch to see the development of Kutch, the beauty of Kutch, the nature of Kutch and the development of that Kutch which was once wrapped under the blanket of death. Also, they come to see the bird sanctuary in Jamnagar. I have come to Jamnagar today. So, I would like to make a request to the people of Jamnagar. About two months ago, a memorial named Smritivan was built at Bhujia Dungar of Kutch in the memory of those we have lost in the earthquake. It is no less than the 'Ground Zero' that was constructed after 9-11 in America, or the memorial built in Hiroshima Japan. This memorial has been built in the memory of those who had lost their lives in the Gujarat earthquake. It also includes those who had lost their lives in Jamnagar. That's why I request that all the families who had lost their loved ones should visit the Smritivan once, and offer flowers to the place where the name of your loved one is engraved. And if anyone from Jamnagar wants to visit Kutch, then it is my request not to forget to visit this Smritivan in Bhuj.
Brothers and sisters,
Today, as I have come to the land of Jamnagar, I wish to pay my homage to Jam Saheb Maharaja Digvijaysinh. Maharaja Digvijaysinh, through his kind nature and work, had given shelter to the Polish people at the time of the Second World War, becoming an idol of compassion. The benefit of his relation with Poland at that time is being received by the whole of India even today. Example, our students from India were trapped in Ukraine. Thousands of students had to be rescued from the bombs and shellings. It was a major crisis but due to this relationship, we were able to come out of the crisis. The reason why the Polish government helped the Indian students was the kind nature of Digvijaysinh ji. We are striving to take the city of Jam Saheb to newer heights of development. And it is our responsibility to pay our true tribute to Jam Saheb Maharaja Digvijaysinh Ji by developing Jamnagar. Presently, Jam Saheb Shatrusalya Sinh ji's blessings have been upon me. Recently, I had paid a visit to him to seek his blessings. We all always prayed for his good health and long life. And we continue to get his guidance. Friends, Jamnagar is still ahead in terms of cricket. Even today Jamnagar is like a flag bearer of India in the world of cricket. The players of Jamnagar and Saurashtra have shown great strength in cricket. And when we hold the trophy, the pride and glory of Gujarat is reflected in it. There is always a joy and happiness in bowing down to the earth full of talents and the spirit of service. And with that my personal vow to serve you relentlessly also gets stronger.
Brothers and sisters,
A short while back, Bhupendra Bhai was describing Panchshakti. Gujarat has strengthened itself with these five resolutions of development and Gujarat is moving forward strongly today like the strength of the Himalayas. This grand building of Gujarat is scaling new heights with the strength of the pillars of these five resolutions i.e. Janshakti, Gyanshakti, Jalshakti, Urjashakti and Rakshashakti. And what was our condition 20-25 years ago? Try to recall it. The children of Gujarat, who are 20-25 years old, who are taking birth now are all fortunate that they did not have to face the troubles that their elders have faced. We campaigned vigorously to get rid of these problems. On the way here, I could see a large number of young men and women standing. At home, you can ask your elders about the condition of Jamnagar and Kathiawad about 20-25 years ago. A lot of problems had to be faced in order to irrigate the fields; the children used to be thirsty and the mother had to take a pitcher and go to a spot three kilometers away to get water. We have seen such days. And today the situation has changed in such a way that you won't remember the pain anymore. Earlier one had to wait for hours for the tanker. There was no certainty that the tanker would come. Even if it arrived, one had to stand in long queues. A lot of times after standing in long queues, one would be told later that the tanker had run out of water. This was the condition of the whole of Kathiawad.
I still remember one incident. I was not into politics at that time. I saw a photo in the newspaper, and the photo was clicked in Jamnagar. And what was the photo about? The then Chief Minister of Gujarat had come to Jamnagar for the inauguration of a water tank. And the news of the inauguration of that water tank was printed on the front page of the newspaper. While today in one of my stays, I have inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth more than the total annual budget of Gujarat in the past. This shows that Gujarat's progress will not be allowed to stop under any circumstances. Now we have to make greater strides. And we have to raise our heads and walk ahead, brothers.
When I took the responsibility as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time, do you know what the MLAs visiting from around Jamnagar used to demand? These MLAs were from different parties. They used to come with a demand that - 'Please start the relief work soon. We just need some mud for roads'. The MLAs used to demand a road made of mud or soil. But today my MLAs demand 'paver roads' or 'four lane roads'. There was a time when the MLAs used to ask for hand pumps in their constituencies. And today River Narmada is circumambulating the whole of Gujarat through the SAUNI Yojana. Brothers, there was a time when we used to earn virtues by worshipping mother Narmada. That mother is pleased with us and is showering her blessings on the people by covering every nook and corner of Gujarat. She is bringing a new consciousness and a new energy.
When I had launched the Sauni Yojana inside the auditorium of Rajkot, the protestors were not at all pleased. They thought Modi had brought it as a gimmick before the elections. They thought Sauni yojana was difficult to implement. Then I said, "why can't you think beyond the hand pump? I will place such a huge pipeline that you can travel inside it in a Maruti car". Then the pipe was installed, and Sauni Yojana is filling the reservoirs and irrigating the fields. Now my farmer brothers are benefitting in both ways by planting cotton and groundnuts. They have never before got such values for these crops. Now water has reached Lalpur. Lakhs of hectares of land is now getting water. Lakhs of people from Jamnagar, Dwarka, Rajkot, Porbandar will get potable drinking water through the pipeline.
My heartiest congratulations to Bhupendra Bhai and his team for expediting the work on the Jal Jeevan Mission in Gujarat and the speed with which your government has been implementing the central Government's schemes in Gujarat! We have received the blessings of our mothers and sisters because the entire burden of looking after the water related issues at home is on the women. If guests are coming in the house, then there is an issue of water and my mothers and sisters had to face this biggest concern. And who would have removed the water pitchers from the heads of these mothers and sisters? This very son will take that responsibility! Today we are supplying water completely through the pipes. Har Ghar Jal Abhiyan is going to get a boost from this.
Our government is continuously working for the welfare of the poor. During the Corona period, the poor of the country were our first concern. We tried to make sure that the cooking went on in the house of the poor. So free ration was provided to the 80 crore poor people of this country so that they would not go hungry even once. And people shower their blessings even if they get to eat just a grain of food. And here I am getting the blessings of 80 crore people of the country, I am getting the blessings from you all. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is going to run till December. Even in times of crisis, cooking should not stop in the houses of the poor.
Secondly, let's talk about the One Nation One Ration Card. Now Jamnagar used to be equated with a very small place. Its name 'Chhoti Kashi' is a proof of the same. But today, Jamnagar has become cosmopolitan. In fact, the whole district has become cosmopolitan. Today people from all over the country earn their livelihood in Jamnagar district. Under the One Nation One Ration Card using technology, people from any part of the country like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, or Karnataka, will be ensured food here. Even if his card is registered in his village in a different state, he will be able to get his quota of food at this state with the card so that he doesn't have to go hungry. Jamnagar is known for Oil Refinery and has an Oil Economy. How big is the energy sector here! 35 percent of the country's crude oil is refined in Jamnagar. I am sure every person of Jamnagar will be proud of it. For industrial development in Jamnagar, the double engine government of Narendra and Bhupendra has been working simultaneously. What was the condition of traffic in your city 20 years ago? Now in Jamnagar, the roads will be widened; the infrastructure for the same will be developed; and work is also underway for the overbridges, overpasses, flyovers with the aim of bringing prosperity to the growing city and bringing the facilities to common man. A place like Jamnagar which used to sit in a corner at the western end of Gujarat by the sea is now nurturing us in today's era.
Jamnagar should be connected to every corner of India. Therefore Amritsar-Bhatinda-Jamnagar corridor is being constructed at an expenditure of Rs 26 thousand crores. This corridor is going to strengthen the whole of Jamnagar and North India. The whole of North India will be acquainted with the strength, production, the small and big industries present in Jamnagar. This one railway track is going to bring that strength. It will help in connecting with Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand or Himachal. So the business of Gujarat will expand and its production cost will decrease due to the corridor. Moreover, vegetables and fruits will also reach North India. Gujaratis have a special quality. We are masters in making good use of the things which are of no use. After you have eaten the mango, we make 'Mukhwas' from its seed. We don't let anything go waste. The 40 MW solar power project in Haripar is a perfect example of the same. We have set up this plant on a land that was labelled as Wasteland. That is, the places that cannot be used, have also been used.
Friends,
Whether it is about the welfare of farmers or the poor, or the development of industries, or to expand the infrastructure, Gujarat has set a new example of development in every field. And Jamnagar has made its mark at the global level. WHO is in Jamnagar. People have started recognizing WHO due to Corona. WHO's Center for Global Traditional Medicine is located in Jamnagar. There was already an Ayurveda University in Jamnagar and this is a feather in the cap. Today Ayurveda University of Jamnagar has got the recognition as a National University. Our Jamnagar is definitely 'Chhoti Kashi' but it is also known as 'Saubhagya Nagar'. Our Saubhagya Nagar or Jamnagar is known for Sindoor, bangles, Bindis, and Bandhanis. And our government has given many new incentives to develop the Bandhani art of Bandhani Gujarat. Through the Hastkala Setu scheme, the brass industry of Jamnagar flourished. I still remember that when I became the new Prime Minister, there was news concerning the worrisome condition of Jamnagar and its brass industry. Everyone would come to meet me regarding this. Then we took several initiatives and pulled out the brass industry from that worrisome condition.
Brothers and sisters,
Even a small part like a pin and other spare parts for Aircraft are made by the industries in Jamnagar, Rajkot, or Kathiawad. This is the power that we have created here.
Friends,
It has become easy to carry out business and trade in the country. My biggest objective is to minimize hurdles and to minimize the interference of the government. My priority was to minimize government intervention in the small industries. Earlier huge piles of forms had to be filled for every single task in the government. But the small businessmen in particular will be glad to know that 33,000 compliances which the government demanded before have now been repealed. And our MSME sector benefited the most from this. Besides there were several other laws that the previous governments had been implementing. For example, as per one such law, if you have a factory and a toilet/bathroom in it, but you do not get it white-washed every six months, then there was a six months' punishment.
There were so many laws like this. The laws from the British era were followed. I do not want to put my merchants and businessmen of the country in jail. I have abolished around 2000 such laws. And if there is any other such law that has been noticed by the friends in business, then kindly let me know. Putting behind the bars for every small reason is a colonial mentality and I have started a campaign to get rid of the same. And this campaign is going to go on. The way my government emphasizes the 'Ease of doing business' was not even accounted for earlier. Earlier, the person would be kicked from one table to another or they would be forced to fill the pockets of the officials. For the Ease of Doing Business, we have changed the laws and rules systematically, due to which there was a tremendous jump in our ranking in the world. When I became the Prime Minister in 2014, and you sent me to serve as Prime Minister, India was at number 142 in Ease of Doing Business. After five-six years of hard work, we have reached 63rd rank. And if we persist, we can even go below 50. We are working to ensure that such a big improvement is not only on papers, but the small and big businessmen get the benefit of it on ground!
Look at the condition of India compared to the world. The morning is ruined by reading about the world's condition in newspapers. The World Bank, IMF, major economists and people from all over the world write about the condition. England has not seen such an inflation in the last 50 years. Similarly, America hasn't come across such an inflation in the last 45 years. Growth rates have dropped while the interest rates have gone up. The economic sector all over the world is shrinking. But amidst everything, only India is that country which is striding ahead at a fast pace in a dauntless way. Before 2014, India was the 10th largest economy in the world, but now it has jumped from 10th to 5th in such a short span of time. It is among the first five economies of the world. When we improved our rank from 6th to 5th, the whole country was filled with ardour. What was the reason? It was not because Modi is the Prime Minister. It was because the country that had ruled over us for 250 years ranked 5th before. Now we have left them behind and my country is moving forward. And the government is not the only one to get all the praise. All the credit goes to my labourer brothers, farmer brothers, street vendors, traders-businessmen. The country is progressing because of them, and for this reason I salute them.
Friends,
The Gujarat government has unveiled a new industrial policy a week back. And everybody appreciated that policy. I congratulate Bhupendra and his team for such an industrial policy that will make Gujarat unstoppable. The new industrial policy has many provisions that will benefit new startups and micro industries. Lacs of youth from Gujarat will get employment due to this. I want the youth of Gujarat to reap the benefit of this new industrial policy and I am prepared to hold their hands.
The port line and the coastline of Jamnagar is full of diversity. We find huge biodiversity here. Now India has started Project Dolphin. The country has already praised Project Cheetah. Now we are concentrating on dolphins. Jamnagar has a lot of dolphins. So we are now taking up projects to conserve and develop them. And for this Jamnagar, Dwarka, Bet Dwarka and this entire coastline will be developed as huge eco tourism centres. Brothers and sisters, I have described Bhupendra bhai as humble and dauntless and Gujarat has already witnessed that. We have seen the work of dam construction under his leadership. Those who were involved know that it was done quietly but quickly. When an upright person takes up leadership then everybody else follows suit. This is the result of a strong will-power. Not only that, Bhupendra bhai has undertaken a massive cleanliness drive along the entire coastline of Gujarat. The law and order system is also very strong. Gujarat has seen peace in the last 20 years. Consequently, the doors of development have opened. With the resolution of unity Gujarat is marching ahead with cooperation from everybody. Earlier there used to be riots frequently and Jamnagar was no exception. But today we are free from all that. Today the double engine government of Narendra-Bhupendra propelled impetus to all development projects and we have to maintain this speed. These development projects form the pillars of Jamnagar and Saurashtra. I believe that we have been working for peace in the lives of youth and elderly alike.
Brothers and sisters,
I congratulate Jamnagar. I congratulate all of you. Mothers and sisters were showering their blessings on me during the entire route. I am overwhelmed by their gesture. I am thankful and grateful for all these blessings. Now lifting your both the fists upward, say along with me:
Bharat mata ki Jai!
Bharat mata ki Jai!
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.